Naruto Fic Fragments
by Leafy365
Summary: Snippets of various Naruto-related plotbunnies that I'll probably never continue.
1. Chapter 1

"So, Kakashi-kun, why exactly do you want to be a shinobi? Because it looks cool? To wipe off the perceived stain of disgrace on the Hatake name? Do you know what it means to be a true shinobi? My hands are stained with the blood of countless individuals, innocent, guilty, victim of circumstance

"So let me tell you about my dream, since we're going to be teammates. It's a dream that only a few of my precious people know about. It's a dream that began as Ero-sennin's dream, and it is a dream that has since extended to me, his student. It is a dream of peace."

Kakashi couldn't help but scoff at what he perceived to be his teacher's naivety and foolish idealism. Arashi-sensei sent a rueful smile in return.

"I know, I know. It sounds ridiculous, right? I admit, when ero-sennin told me something similar, I thought the elder toads must have hit him one too many times on the head. After all, what can one man do against the collective hatred of the world? But as I traveled with him to many different places, meeting so many different people who held such different ideals, I began to understand that my teacher is not a fool, but a very wise man with an enormous strength of character.

"Where the shinobi system exists, there will always be violence. One village executes a preemptive strike against another village, resulting in the death of many shinobi. One child from the second village experiences the loss of a parent, the pain of losing one of his precious people. The love of the child for this person leads to a hatred for the enemy, the village that caused this pointless death. The hatred and the pain of this loss fester in the child's heart, and as the child grows and becomes a shinobi as well, his desire for revenge increases. Eventually this child becomes strong enough to kill the shinobi from the enemy village. But this small taste for revenge does nothing to sate the ever-growing hate. This child, no, adult now, in his vengeance, kills another person's precious person. The adult's hate spreads to the enemy. Pretty soon the two villages are embroiled in a war. This is the cycle of hatred. It is a curse that consumes us."

Arashi paused, as if to see whether his student was listening to the tale. Kakashi was indeed listening, but was also starting to become impatient at what seemed to be a waste of his training time.

"Now, there is a point to this story, Kakashi," Arashi said in response to Kakashi's impatient glare. "I am the heir of the Uzumaki clan. And as you know, our village was destroyed in an attempt by Kumo and Kiri to eradicate its inhabitants. It was only by the blessing of Kami that we were able to evacuate even one-third of the population. It was devastating to see the legacy of my ancestors being desecrated by people who were jealous of our prosperity and power. Seeing members of my family murdered in front of my eyes, their throats slit, entrails spilling out, skin burning to a crisp… It is a horror I hope you will never face.

"Because of this, I began to grow bitter and resentful towards Kiri and Iwa. I began to hate. And in my hatred, I decided that I would make them pay. So I began throwing myself into training, day after day with no respite. I began to crave the power and strength I thought was necessary for my revenge. In the pursuit of this goal, I focused only on my own pain and forgot about the pain of others who have experienced the same events. Kushina-chan kept pestering me to spend time with her, and I would always push her away, intent on my training. One day, I went too far and she burst into tears. She called me every name in the book, pummeled me with her fists, kicked me everywhere she could reach, and I just stood there and took it all. Because I made a mistake. I forgot about my precious people. I forgot that Kushina-chan lost people as well. I forgot that she was hurting just as much as me, and I blindly refused her comfort.

"That was the moment I realized that all the power in the world would not bring back my friends and family. Hatred would not give me peace. Vengeance would not unburden my soul. Because of a little girl, my little sister, I let go of my anger. How could I hold on to my hate when there were people who needed me to pull them from their own despair? Kushina-chan, Ryu-obachan, Inoshi-kun, (more names), they were all being consumed by their pain, just as I was. By letting go of mine, I could teach others to do the same, and begin to live again.

"One day, I met a group of Iwa jonin. Among them, there was a face I recognized. He was there the night that my village burned. I watched them all day, followed them until they stopped to camp. This man was on watch while his companions slept. I crept behind him and held a kunai to his throat. That was my ultimate test: would I succumb to my hatred, as so many others had, or would I do the impossible by forgiving one of the murderers of my clan? I chose the latter, much to my surprise and his relief. Now Zarui-san is one of my friends. Ultimately, he is not responsible for the decimation of my clan. The blame lies with the corrupt Iwa council that issued the orders without the knowledge of the Tsukage. If I had killed first, I would have never found out the true story. I would have never realized that the majority of the Iwa shinobi are not the ones to blame.

"By the time I met Jiraiya-sensei and travelled the world with him, I had already decided that revenge is useless. Ero-sennin taught me forgiveness and shared with me his dream of a united world with no war, a future in which people could understand each other. Through my pain, I can understand others. Through that understanding, I can form bonds with people, save them from their own darkness. We are all bound to each other, like chains. If one link chooses love over hate, it can change the world. And that is my goal.

"Kakashi, you must decide what kind of a ninja you want to be. Will you mold yourself into the perfect emotionless tool, carrying out orders without hesitation? If your leader orders you to participate in the genocide of every clan that wields a bloodline, will you do so without question? If your answer is yes, then I have no desire to teach you. Your strength would be a waste of resources.


	2. Chapter 2

I couldn't decide if I wanted Humoshi to be a SI, OC, or future Time Traveling Naruto.

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><p>Humoshi was finishing his packing for his mission when he heard a soft knock at the door.<p>

Most of the people who'd visit never knocked; they just burst in cheerfully. Humoshi had long gotten used to it, and if he really needed his privacy, there was a great big honking seal that could be activated.

The few Hyuugas he was friendly with were too polite not to knock, but he'd corrupted them enough that they would come in anyway without permission.

What Humoshi did not expect upon opening the door was a three-year old Uchiha Itachi looking lost and scared under his impassive mask.

"Does anyone know where you are, Itachi-kun?" Humoshi asked as he ushed the clan heir into his apartment.

"Hai, Humoshi-ji-sama," Itachi answered quietly. Itachi was slowly shuffling to his kitchen.

"So, Uchiha Military Police aren't going to break down my door and attempt to haul me in for kidnapping?"

Itachi flushed. He was an obedient child, but also had a tendency to wander off when something caught his interest. That day, Itachi had been fascinated by the seals in his godfather's house and had spent hours tracing them with his hands and eyes.

Mikoto had been frantic while Fugaku looked close to bursting a vessel. Humoshi had just gotten back from an annoying B-rank when he was accosted by Uchiha looking as frantic as they ever did, begging for his assistance.

Humoshi had agreed, of course, as he was rather fond of his precocious godson, and headed towards his apartment to freshen up before joining the search.

Seconds after encountering a curled-up Itachi sleepily holding on to one of his sealing scrolls, at least ten Uchiha military officers had burst in unexpectedly – Jiraya-sempai often chided him for not being paranoid enough, while Orochimaru-sempai would mutter under his breath about careless kohais – demanding that the unscrupulous child molester hand over their most honorable Heir.

Humoshi took one look at Itachi, who was grumpily stirring from the noise, and back at the adults, and burst into laughter.

It took minutes to uncomplicated the situation, and the MPs were thoroughly embarrassed and apologetic and cowering from an irate Fugaku for embarrassing an honored friend of the Uchiha clan.

After that, Humoshi had agreed to begin Itachi's instruction into Fuinjutsu, but not before creating a seal that would alert someone if Itachi came back to his apartment.

"Kaa-san knows that I'm coming to visit you," Itachi said.

"You don't have a sealing question for me," Humoshi stated more than asked. Itachi shook his head.

Humoshi waited patiently for Itachi to start talking. The boy was never one to do anything without deliberation. A curse of being a childhood prodigy, Humoshi thought.

"What does it mean to be a shinobi?" Itachi finally asked. Humoshi blinked in surprise at the mature question, chewing his saba thoughtfully.

"It means many things to different people, chibi," Humoshi said. "Why?"

"I overheard some of the Uchiha elders discussing their actions in the Second Shinobi War," Itachi said.

Humoshi huffed mentally. Trust an Uchiha, even a chibi one, to give an answer within an answer. Luckily, he was quite adept at translating Uchiha-ese into normal people speak.

So Itachi heard some of the Elders of his clan airing their long-held grievances against other villages. They must have gone into pretty graphic detail for Itachi to actually trek across the village alone. Torture, dismemberment, execution, the nitty gritty details of war and violence that every ninja needed to experience first-hand to truly understand.

Really, Itachi was truly an old soul in a young body.

"Well," Humoshi said slowly. "The Second War wasn't pleasant. I lost almost everything. Finding Kushina safe and sound in Konoha was probably the only reason I kept my sanity."

Itachi blinked, confused.

"Uzugakure was decimated by a Kumo-Iwa alliance. Konoha sent half their manpower to assist us, but when they got there, the village had already been torn apart. There were very few survivors. I was one of them, but only because they hid me.

"I was the heir, and thus, the most valuable hostage for our enemies. I couldn't break the seals holding me back; all I could hear were the death screams as my father, mother, brothers and sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends were all cut down by pretty much the entire Kumo shinobi force."

Humoshi paused. Uzugakure was still painful to talk about, but time had dulled his wounds into a more manageable pain.

"It messed me up pretty badly, to be honest," Humoshi continued. "I was forced to talk to Yamanakas, who helped a little, but what brought me back was taking care of the only family member I had left, as I knew it. I think I pretty much latched on to everyone I could, and refused to let go. It was my way of coping.

"Unfortunately, Shiba Tanaka was caught in an ambush on her way back from a typical C-rank mission. None of her squad survived. The thing is, she might still be alive today if it weren't for me.

"I was supposed to go on that mission, but lately I had been getting more and more disillusioned with the shinobi life. The war was over, but the violence was not. People kept killing each other for greed, for power, for revenge. It was pointless to me, just corrupt, greedy nobles sending their subjects to a certain death.

"So, I decided to take a break that same day that I was supposed to lead the mission to escort a merchant to Kusa. Instead, it went to Tanaka-chan, whose clan jutsu were singularly unsuitable for the close range enemy she was fighting.

"When I found out, I collapsed. I would just stay in bed until someone prodded me to get up. I wouldn't eat. I would just sit, staring out at the village. It was like I was in a dream and everything happening around me wasn't real. Kushina's tears weren't real. Minato's hovering wasn't real. Nothing my friends said or did made much of a difference. I had essentially shut myself down.

"It was actually Orochimaru-sempai who snapped me out of it. Well, Jiraya-sempai had attempted to cheer me up by dragging me to the hot springs to peek, but well, the kunoichi who heard that remark quickly became a mob that sempai tried to run away from.

"Orochimaru-sempai is-"

"Weird," Itachi interjected.

"Well, yes, but okay. He's weird. Which is why everyone was surprised that he was the one to jolt me out of my stupor. Long story short, he slapped me, verbally ripped me down and kept mocking me until I broke down in tears, screaming at him.

"I know, it sounds crazy. But it really worked for me. None of those platitudes or reassurances would get through to me. So he told me exactly what I wanted to hear and helped show me that it wasn't my fault a friend died.

"The thing is, I had begun associating shinobi with death and violence, which it can be. But what I forgot was the reason I was fighting in the first place.

"It was to protect people. To protect my village, my family, my friends, every single precious person to me. That's what being a shinobi means to me.

"Some people end up getting lost in the killing while others go down destructive paths in their attempt to find meaning. I was lucky enough to have people buttressing me that I could overcome my doubts.

"Itachi, only you can decide what kind of shinobi you want to be. Are you an avenger or a protector? Are you loyal to your leaders or to an ideal? What difference do you want to make in the world? Don't let others define you."

Humoshi felt emotionally drained, as he always did when he revisited the past. But Itachi needed guidance, the push in the right direction to understand the life of shinobi that he had been born into.

"Chibi, you know you can talk to Mikoto-chan about anything, right?" Humoshi ventured when it looked like Itachi wasn't going anywhere.

The doubt was easy to read on Itachi's face.

"Look, Itachi-kun. Your parents love you. They might not show it in obvious ways, but I was there when you were born. A lot of us were, and we all saw how much Fugaku smailed and Mikoto laughed.

"Your tou-san is in a horrible position. He's your parent but he's also the Clan head, and I guess the latter comes first most of the time. He just forgets that sometimes he can also be just a father.

"Your kaa-chan has more freedom to indulge you. Talk to her. Get to know her thoughts. Get her advice on your doubts. You'd be surprised at how much she could tell you.

"And you know I'm always there for you, right Chibi?"

Itachi nodded.

"Good," Humoshi said, ruffling the dark locks and getting a squack out of the boy. "Now, come on, I'll walk you back to the compound."

"What would you peek at in the hot springs?" Itachi asked midway to the compound.

Humoshi froze. Crap. Mikoto was going to skin him alive and wear him as her battle armor if she found out her son had become infected by Jiraya's pervert tendencies.

"Tell you what kid," Humoshi thought fast. "Make absolutely no mention of that around any, especially your mom, and I'll throw in two extra hours of training."

Please take the bait, Humoshi thought desperately.

Itachi narrowed his eyes minutely. "Four hours."

"Fine, you little pirate."

Whew, Humoshi thought. That was a close one.

"Sorry, Miko-chan, I've got to get an early start tomorrow," Humoshi said to Mikoto's offer of dinner.

Itachi had been safely herded back to his clan compound. Humoshi could only hope that he had helped the boy with his doubts instead of hopelessly confounding him.

Mikoto frowned, the only sign of her disquiet. "You will be careful?" she asked once again.

Humoshi sighed indulgently. "I promise, I'll be fine. If I show up back home with anything worse than a papercut, Kushina-nee gets first dibs."

"Good. She was telling me about how vinegar poured on wounds gives the victim a temporary but unrelenting pain. There was also talk of orange paint, no ramen, and blind dates," Mikoto informed her friend sternly.

Humoshi cringed. Kushina was dangerously creative when it came to punishing people. Half of Konoha's civilians still flinched at ducks.

"I –" Humoshi started, before processing what Mikoto had said. "No ramen?! But, but she can't do that! Uzumakis live off of Fuinjutustu and Ramen!"

Mikoto rolled her eyes. "Just an incentive to get back in one piece," she said pleasantly.

"You know why I have to do this, Mikoto," Humoshi said, suddenly serious. "I have no desire to face my family on the wrong side of the battlefield someday. I still have nightmares about how close I was to losing Nagato and his friends.

"I want – no, need to be there when we approach those people. I spent years thinking that Kushina and I were the only Uzumakis left, only to discover that pockets of them had dispersed into other direction."

"I do know," Mikoto said. Kushina had freaked out about it for days, and she bore the brunt of her friend's volatile emotions that swung between elated for finding out about her clan's survivors and utter terror at the thought of her big brother entering the war torn Ame to chase those rumors. "Just, stay safe. And be cautious. There've been strange rumors going around about Kiri's situation."

"Maa maa, you all worry too much," Humoshi teased, trying to break the tension. "And I thought Minato was the main mother hen. Are you looking to ta-Ow, ow! Mercy!"

Mikoto's knuckles only dug deeper into Humoshi's scalp. Fugaku, who had just arrived home from a tedious day of dealing with civilian complaints that ranged from the annoying to the absurd, simply rolled his eyes at the familiar scene and expertly untangled Humoshi from his wife's torture.

Kushina groaned at the piece of crap that was her alarm clock. Yes, she had set it for 5:30 am, but that didn't mean she was happy about having to wake up that early.

It was all Humoshi's fault, Kushina decided. Her idiot big brother just had to volunteer himself for the highly risky diplomatic mission to Kiri simply because he heard a rumor of a red haired kunoichi with sadistic tendencies and the massive chakra reserves to back it up and immediately concluded that there was another displaced Uzumaki out there.

"_**Didn't you try to volunteer yourself as well?"**_Kurama suddenly rumbled in the back of her head.

"Yeah, but only to make Humoshi doesn't do something stupid –ttebane!" Kushina chose to conveniently forget that she had just been about to speak up before Humoshi slapped her with a silencing seal to prevent her from offering to tag along.

And now she was forced to get up at ridiculous hours to see her technically-second-cousin-but-brother-fits-better family off.

"_**He left,"**_ Kurama supplied gleefully.

"Eh? Whaddya mean, he left?" Kushina said, confused.

"_**I mean that he's not in Konoha anymore, idiot! What else do you think I mean? That he's run away to become a ballerina?"**_

"What's a ballerina? It better not be something perverted! I'm in no mood for perverts this early in the morning!"

"_**So you don't mind perverts in the afternoon?"**_ Kurama said sarcastically.

Kushina spluttered. Then she thought back to what Kurama had said.

"THAT BAKA! HE LEFT WITHOUT SAYING GOODBYE TO ME? HOW DARE HE, THAT STUPID, IDIOTIC MORON! HE BETTER NOT HAVE FORGOTTEN HIS BREAKFAST! I CAN'T BELIEVE I WOKE UP SO EARLY AND MY UNGRATEFUL BROTHER'S ALREADY GONE!" Kushina ranted. "WHEN HE GETS BACK, I'LL SHOW NO MERCY!"

About fifty miles out of Konoha, Humoshi suddenly sneezed sharply three times, before getting a foreboding chill down his spine.

"I'm getting a foreboding chill down my spine," Humoshi announced into the pleasant morning sky.

Two of the chunin not so subtly shuffled away from the crazy ninja. It was definitely true that the more powerful the ninja, the crazier they became.

Sakumo simply nodded knowingly and upped his caution and vigilance. As an excellent shinobi, he knew better than to discount random feelings, whether it was related to the mission or a dear friend plotting revenge. Why, the one and only time he ignored his own instincts, his beautiful tanto had been shattered mid-fight by a brute of a shinobi.

Fortunately, his backup had been an Akimichi who had been snacking on some barbequed pork while simultaneously beating the crap out of three enemy shinobi. Those skewers were quite handy in a pinch, and when he was done, his opponent had looked more like a hedgehog than a fearsome enemy.

No amount of skewering would bring back his lovely, beautiful sword, though.

The two unnamed shinobi shared an uneasy glance when their team leader suddenly let out a sniffle.

"Don't worry, Sakumo-taicho. I picked up some great incense from Kusa that would be perfect for your tanto wake," Humoshi said comfortingly.

"Is it the one with the hallucinogens?" the Hatake asked with a suspicious waver.

As Humoshi reassured Sakumo that yes, there were some pretty powerful hallucinogens that were sure to ease the way to getting in touch with his dearly departed sword's spirit, the two shinobi who would probably become cannon fodder suddenly felt less smug about being chosen for this mission.

"Mei-mei, I still can't believe I found you!" Humoshi said. Mei was currently being lovingly and unknowingly strangled by her long-lost relative's enthusiastic embrace.

"Is that her husband?" Ao whispered to his comrade. Unfortunately, sound travels unpredictably through mist, so the man's whisper was more like a very loud shout.

Ao let out a strangled shout at the sudden appearance of two very annoyed shinobi less than a foot away from his face.

"What. Did. You. Say." the two Uzumakis growled in unison.

"Mei-mei's never getting married, you hear me? She's my sweet, innocent baby cousin who has no lecherous thoughts of other men!" Humoshi exclaimed passionately, before adding, just to be fair, "Or women."

"Shut up, Ao, or I'll kill you," Mei said with a sweet smile, having misheard him saying that she'd never get a husband.

"Well, if you're not coming to Konoha with me, then it's only fair that I make sure that Kiri is safe for you," Humoshi declared. He knew Mei had made her new home in the Hidden Mist, and would not begrudge her for finding a place to belong. Nagato similarly could not even contemplate the thought of leaving his beloved Amegakure. Fortunately, Karin, Koshiro, and Asami had no close ties to Kusa.

Humoshi had been gifted with the oddest sense of premonition, one that he had learned to trust and follow after Uzushiogakure's destruction.

Hearing an Iwa ninja disparage the Uzumaki Clan's Fuinjutsu techniques as crude had lit a fire in the seven year old Humoshi. The result was a highly intricate and complex interlocking web of seals to be used as a village wide security system. Humoshi wasn't quite sure _why_ he chose to create a highly paranoid security system instead of oh, say, a seal that would change one's hair color into alarming shades and patterns like a _normal_ Uzumaki. All he knew was that the day the village fell was the day before his father, the Uzukage, had planned on implementing those seals.

If Humoshi had presented his creation a month earlier instead of dithering over its suitability, Uzushio might still be standing today. It took a very, very long time stop blaming himself all the time. Humoshi also learned to follow his intuition. If something was blaring at him to go to a tea shop across the village tomorrow morning, then he damn well better haul his ass there. Chances were that staying in bed instead would result in Konoha's destruction or something.

And now, he was getting the sense that Mei would be important to Kirigakure, but that without action, something very bad would happen. Each family member was precious to him. His father had passed on that belief to him. Whether or not he would become the Uzukage, he would most definitely become the Head of the Uzumaki Clan. He would be responsible for every single clan member.

Well, he had failed them all once, and he was repenting by seeking out as many lost clan members as possible. If they wanted to stay where they were, or if they wanted to pack up their bags and make their home in Konoha, Humoshi would make sure that they were as safe as he could make them.

If Mei was going to stay in Kiri, then Kiri would be second only to Konoha in awesomeness and safety.

Mei eyed her cousin with exasperation. She remembered all too well Humoshi's protective tendencies. They either backfired horribly or became the stuff of legend. An attempt to make sure his clumsy older brother did not trip and impale himself on his sword resulted in the sword developing a sentience akin to Kiri's Seven Swords. On the other hand, Humoshi's idea of tagging each piece of his sister's clothing with a tracking seal had resulted in half her wardrobe completely destroyed.

"Take me to your Mizukage," Humoshi said, pointing randomly at someone. Behind him, a man wearing the Chunin vest facepalme.

Ao spluttered. "The Mizukage is a very busy and important man. I can't just march you up to his office and throw you at him!"

"Why not?" Humoshi said shrugging. "I do it all the time back home. It's as good a way as any to get a Kage's attention."

"It's true," the white haired man who came with Humoshi piped up. "Sandaime-sama keeps high quality sake behind the desk."

"Are all Konoha shinobi this crazy or is it just them?" a woman with distinctive purple hair asked one of the nameless chunin, who looked as if about to expire from embarrassment.

"The more powerful the ninja, the crazier they get," he muttered back.

Humoshi whipped around to point at Sakumo. "You! You're the one who emptied jii's sake drawer? Man, he blamed me for that and made me go pester Ero-sempai to write more porn! I had to play lookout for the pervert while looked into that spyhole for the women's hot springs! You're the reason why I'm traumatized for life."

"Ah, actually, that was Tsunade-hime," Sakumo refuted. "And I was wondering why you were following Jiraya-kun around last month. Orochimaru-kun was afraid that his perverted ways had rubbed off on you and told the hime, who took great offense."

"So that's why the old hag picked me up by my collar and threw me into the Aburame Compound!"

"Oh, I was on a mission, but I heard the gossip about the Aburame disturbance, which set off five middle-level threat warning alarms, dispatched half of the Anbu and a quarter of the Uchiha Police Force, not to mention the Hyuuga brothers and the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, all to chase after a visiting civilian merchant who actually turned out to be a spy from Iwa. I had no idea that was you," Sakumo said.

"That actually wasn't my fault," Humoshi said. "Jii forgot that he linked some of the alarms set for him by his guards to the village security ones, since he wanted to escape the hovering. Except he got distracted by Ero-sempai's latest work and somehow linked it to the clan compounds instead."

"Is Jiraya's work really that good?" Sakumo asked curiously. He had no idea where he was going and simply followed Humoshi, who looked like he did.

"Eh, depends," Humoshi said. "It's definitely porn, but there's enough substance to the characters and a well-developed plot that one could justify reading it for that instead. He's thinking about publishing some of his things, actually, so you might end up getting your hands on one of his books someday."

Humoshi stopped suddenly, and if not for his superior reflexes, would have been buried under a sea of bodies who had been following him. As it was, he ended up standing on top of the doggie pile, looking at the building he had stopped in front of.

He fished Mei out from the middle of the pile. "This is the Mizukage building, right?"

Mei blinked in astonishment. "Er, yes?"

"Good," Humoshi nodded. The two chunin who had accompanied them, whose names he could not remember for the life of him, were stuck at the very bottom. One of them groaned piteously as Sakumo unceremoniously used his head as a stepping stone to extricate him from the tangle of limbs.

The two Konoha shinobi seemed to communicate nonverbally before turning to enter the building.

"Coming, Mei?" Humoshi called with his head turned.

Mei loved her cousin dearly, but she could definitely do without the typical Uzumaki craziness that came when two or more Uzumaki got together.

Humoshi flopped face down onto the rather inviting couch in Yagura's office.

"Ugh," he groaned into the fluffy cushion when Sakumo flopped onto his legs a few seconds later. "Flop somewhere else, I got here first."

"No thanks," Sakumo said happily. Humoshi grumbled into the couch but was too tired to do anything else.

Mei slumped gracefully down to an armchair while Yagura simply looked dazed, as if his entire world view had suddenly gone a profound, dramatic shift. It was common around Uzumakis.

At least five of the Mizukage's guards had been disabled, while several other Mist shinobi stood guard over the traitors. Iyro-nin were hovering around various patients, efficiently assessing the wounds and healing what they could. Fortunately, the epic, harrowing battle between powerful shinobi had not caused the building to lose its structural integrity.

Humoshi had a nebulous feeling that something was not right with the Fourth Mizukage even before he had entered the Kage building. Still, he had not been prepared for what he had found.

They were dealing with a delusional, power-hungry insane old Uchiha who may or may not go by the name of Madara.

Somehow, Humoshi had the sense that he shouldn't be surprised even though he was, very much so.


	3. Chapter 3

This is an attempt to wrap my head around Sasuke's face-heel-face-heel turn. I guess that technically, this is epilogue compliant, minus Neji's miraculous survival.

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><p>Naruto can dissemble and laugh and proclaim friendship and brotherhood all he wants, but the truth is that it takes a long time to forgive Sasuke.<p>

It's a Team 7 secret exactly what when on while everyone else was stuck in the Infinite Tsukoymi, but everyone knows that _something_ happened. It's obvious in the way that Sakura keeps a wary, alert watch, in the way that Kakashi's slouch is even more pronounced, and in the way that Naruto's smiles are less blinding, less genuine.

The village edges around the last Uchiha. Few civilians are brave enough to approach him, and shinobi address him with cold politeness with hidden edges of disdain. The only reason he is not chased out of Konoha is due to Naruto.

Naruto is the savior of the ninja world, the most famous and beloved figure in the Elemental Countries. His legend grows exponentially, spreading to the far corners of the world. Everyone hears about the golden messiah, the charisma that charms even the most hardened killers. There is nothing anyone would refuse to give Naruto.

Naruto asks only one thing after the end of the war: a full pardon for Sasuke's actions after leaving Konoha. A blank slate, a new start, Naruto begs the Kages. He gets down on his knees, bows his head, like a God asking for mercy from his followers.

_Please,_ he whispers. _Don't make Sasuke the final casualty of the war._

The Fourth Raikage is the first to relent, the scene in front of him eerily mimicking the same plea for the same boy that Naruto had once begged to spare. The Fifth Hokage is next to agree; there is nothing she wouldn't do for Naruto, anyway. The Fifth Kazekage is a bit more reluctant, harboring a hatred for Sasuke that calls to his past, but he capitulates as well, for his best friend, his brother, the one who brought him from the darkness into the light. The Mizukage eyes Naruto's prostrated form; someone with enough power to obliterate the world humiliating himself in front of everyone, asking for a criminal's pardon. She also agrees, understanding the need to prevent more bloodshed. The Tsuchikage is silent while his peers fall, one by one, to the pleas of their savior. He thinks of the Yellow Flash, who murdered his way into ending the Third Shinobi War, and he compares that legend to the one in front of him, the boy who ends another war with no blood on his hands. Obviously there's something in those Uzumaki and Namikaze genes that forces the world to bend to their will; the boy seems to know what he's doing, and truth be told, they're all tired of a lifetime of fighting and killing.

Sakura and Kakashi flank Sasuke in the background, stiff and unrelenting despite their wounds. Even as Sasuke remains apathetic, the other two fidget and become more twitchy when Naruto approaches the Kages.

Later in the night, when everyone collapses in their tents, exhausted and exhilarated from the end of the Fourth War, there is a tent that is still light up. It shakes and vibrates but no sounds come out, and those who are momentarily disturbed easily fall back asleep.

Inside this tent, the six members of Team 7 are gathered. Sasuke is bound to a chair, Kakashi hovering around him like a wrathful Sentinel. Sakura fusses over Sai and Yamato, healing what few injuries she can and fighting off Naruto's attempts to do the same.

Naruto had attempted to restore Sasuke's hand first, but Sakura had simply cauterized the wound and turned to Naruto, eyes blazing.

"Heal yourself first," she practically snarls. Naruto had attempted to resist, knowing that he had enough chakra for only one person at the moment, but Sakura has always been hard to say no to.

Sai and Yamato talk about what happened to them when they lost track of the rest of the Team, while Naruto fills in the details they've missed about their own adventures.

Naruto's never been a good liar, so it's obvious that pieces are missing from his retelling. Significant pieces that leave gaping holes in his stories that are named Uchiha Sasuke. Naruto remains stubbornly silent as the two pester him for details. Sakura continues her ministrations, ignoring the conversation. It is Kakashi that breaks the escalating standoff.

"Sasuke tried to kill Naruto. Again," he drawls casually. Sasuke twitches in his restraints, but says nothing.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto yells. "Don't tell them that! They'll think he's crazy again!"

It's a good thing Naruto has the forethought to place a silencing seal around their tent, his voice strident and defensive.

Kakashi is unmasked for once, but no one has the energy to say something about it. He raises an eyebrow at his student, as if asking _Really?_

Sai is not happy, but he says nothing even as Sakura's healing chakra sputters out and her hands tighten uncomfortably on a half-healed wound.

Tenzo ventures into the silence. "Again?" He cannot remember a time during Sasuke's defection when he actively tried to kill his former teammate, but such a crime surely cannot be countenanced.

Naruto opens his mouth to object, loudly, but Kakashi cuts him off, uncharacteristically stern and angry.

"They fought in the Valley of the End, when Sasuke first left to go to Orochimaru. Sasuke used the Chidori to stab Naruto through the chest, barely missing his heart. He left Naruto there to die, bleeding through a hole in his chest. I found him barely alive and brought him back to be healed. It's his only scar, the only one Kurama couldn't heal."

Naruto and Sasuke's faceoff is much speculated about, but Naruto has always remained incredibly tightlipped over what happened. Not even Sakura knew about how close Naruto was to meeting the Shingami, and all due to the actions of a traitor.

"And today?" Tenzo asks, deceptively calm.

Kakashi lets out a snort, bitter and derisive. This is who Kakashi is at his core, behind the lazy, perverted mask of nonchalance. Life's tragedies pile up and the result is Kakashi, broken and shattered, held together only by Sakura's faith and Naruto's hope.

"Sasuke attempted to take over the world and decided he needed to kill the only person who could go against him. Obviously, Naruto objected."

"I see. Then why is that boy still alive?" Tenzo asks.

At this, Naruto can no longer remain silent. "Whaddya mean, why is he still alive? Sasuke helped end the war and save the world! He's my best friend and my brother! I could never kill him. Killing him wouldn't do anything to change what's already happened. The war's over, in part thanks to Sasuke. We need to break the cycle of hatred. Killing Sasuke won't do any good."

Kakashi wants to brush off Naruto's words, too true, cutting into the heart of the matter. His blood craves vengeance. Unfortunately, Naruto is right, as naïve and hopeful as he is.

The war is over. Killing Sasuke is pointless. It is revenge, pure and simple, and he wants it desperately, but Naruto is a force of nature in getting what he wants.

Kakashi has never claimed to be mentally stable. As a child, his father was his world, and when Sakumo was tragically ripped from his life, Kakashi clung to Minato-sensei as his rock. Obito and Rin became similar supports and losing them threatened to topple him into insanity. Only Minato, Kushina, and their unborn child gave him the strength to move one. When they were taken from him as well, Kakashi did go crazy. No one with a connection to his parents were allowed to seek out Naruto; it was the only protection the Saidaime could give the child, with the corruption already sinking its hooks into Konoha's governing body.

For ten years, Kakashi became ANBU's deadliest weapon, a ghost roaming the lands, mercilessly striking down Konoha's enemies. He worked and worked and killed and slaughtered and almost lost himself in the haze of violence but for the few glimpses he had of Naruto. Becoming Team 7's sensei was terrifying; Kakashi has tried so hard not to cling to anything so that he'll have nothing to lose. But it doesn't work; his cute little students get under his skin and into his heart, Naruto especially.

As much as his sensei's son reminds him of Obito, there's also something wholly unique about Naruto's ability to make friends with anyone. By the time he and Pakkun find Naruto slipping into death, it's too late for Kakashi to do anything about using Naruto as his rock. Kakashi has already latched onto him.

Naruto becomes everything his loved ones were. He's kind, an unpredictable genius, able to light up a room with his presence, a shinobi of unsurpassed power and skill, and family. Kakashi knows he will do anything for Naruto.

Yes, he seeks to save Sasuke from himself with almost as much fervency as Naruto does. He protects and guides Sakura when he can. But if Naruto dies, Team 7 falls apart. He is the center of their hearts, the glue that connects everyone.

And if Naruto begs for Sasuke to be spared from punishment, Kakashi will do what he can. He has faith in Naruto, who is no longer the impulsive, attention-seeking idiot. Naruto may wish to save Sasuke for those same sentimental reasons that have driven him since the beginning of his teammate's defection, but he's also become mature enough to know when to let go. From what he could glimpse of their battle among the flying debris and dust clouds, Naruto had ample opportunity to strike a killing or winning blow, but he didn't. Instead he let Sasuke cut off his left hand and convinced him, once again, to give up his own dreams and let Naruto nurture everyone's instead.

"He's right," Kakashi grinds out reluctantly. "Besides, death is too merciful for Sasuke. Let him suffer the consequences of his actions in Konoha."

Naruto slumps, both in relief and dismay. He's glad that he's convinced at least one member of his team from seeking revenge, but is irritated that forgiveness is so hard. Forgiveness, Naruto has discovered, is a main ingredient of peace.

Naruto's life is riddled with forgiveness granted to others. Naruto forgives his father and mother for sealing Kurama in him, dying as he lived. Naruto forgives the Kyuubi from making his childhood a harsh, lonely experience. He forgives his jiji of his mistakes, forgives him for dying for Konoha. Naruto forgives Kakashi-sensei for his perceived preference for Sasuke. Naruto forgives Sakura for her original harsh treatment of him. He forgives Jiraya for abandoning him for 13 years, coming back into his life and giving him a glimpse of family before dying once again. Naruto forgives Konoha of its sins: Danzo's greed, Madara's insanity, Hashirama's ignorance, Tobirama's errors.

Naruto forgives Shikamaru for his inaction as children. He forgives the shopkeeper who sold him his iconic orange jumpsuit, the same shopkeeper who now waves at him on the street, greets him with a respectful "Naruto-sama", and refuses to accept payment. He forgives the orphanage matron, who once kicked him out into the cold winter with nothing more than the clothes on his back; the same woman who now cowers when she sees him, as if expecting reprisal. Naruto forgives Gaara for his part in invading Konoha during the Chunin exams. Naruto forgives Obito for orchestrating many of the events that led to his lonely childhood.

Naruto forgives and forgives and forgives, because if he doesn't, there will be nothing left for him. Forgiveness is cheap, but its returns are bountiful. Because he forgives, Naruto has a family in Team 7. His forgiveness gives him the respect and reverence of the villagers. Forgiveness leads him to help the Biju find peace and reconcile with the past. Naruto forgives, and the world is now his for the taking.

If Naruto can forgive all these people who have wronged him, how can he not forgive Sasuke, this twisted, cruel reflection of what he could become if he had let his sorrows weigh him down? Sasuke has done no worse to him than others have in the past. It costs him nothing to forgive Sasuke of his trespasses.

Unfortunately, it will take Naruto much longer to forgive Sasuke of the hurt he's caused others.

It's a long, long night as the five of them argue and yell and compromise and scream. Sasuke watches his fate being decided with a detached expression. Finally, Naruto wrangles a promise from them to one keep secret Sasuke's actions during the genjutsu, and two, pardon Sasuke for everything and reinstate him as a loyal shinobi of Konohagakure.

No one is happy as they acquiesce, but Naruto knows this is for the better. He's not doing this just for Sasuke, but for Sakura who still loves him, for Kakashi who still sees him as his precious student. And Naruto knows that Konoha will not be kind to Sasuke. He may not face any legal punishment, but shinobi have long memories and collect their grudges like they do jutsu.

Sasuke wants to be the revolutionary, and failing that, a martyr. Naruto may have forgiven Sasuke, may always forgive him, but he's not giving his teammate what he wants. He's forcing Sasuke to face the people he betrayed, the village his clan helped found, the same village his clan wanted to destroy. Perhaps death would have been kinder, but Naruto knows it's only the easy decision, not the right one.

Kurama protests Sasuke's leniency, but quickly relents when he figures out that death is merciful, and living will be the punishment. Kurama can't wait to see Sasuke face his sins, to reap what he has sown.

Once Naruto was the outcast and the pariah, while Sasuke was the pampered prince. Today and forevermore, those roles are reversed.

Perhaps the wrong Uchiha lived, Kurama ponders. Sasuke is the epitome of everything that was ever wrong with the clan, up to the Senju weakness for crazy Uchiha beyond redemption. Itachi, on the other hand, borne his burden with stoic dignity; had things played out differently, maybe the Uchiha clan would have returned to prominence under Itachi's benevolent, peaceful guidance.

When everyone returns to Konoha, injuries healed and the dead buried and farewell'd, Tsunade announces that she is stepping down as Hokage, naming Kakashi as her successor.

It's a shocking move, as everyone had expected Naruto. But Naruto himself had privately argued that as a 17 year old, he still lacked experience and wisdom. Sure, it would be the best prank ever for a genin to become Hokage, but if Naruto's going to do it, he's going to do it right and be the best he can be. And what is right and best for everyone is for Naruto not to accept the position just yet.

Kakashi's first act as Hokage is to announce a full pardon for Sasuke's crimes due to his essential service in ending the war. It's an unpopular decision and the crowd boos, but one look at the atypically quiet Naruto on their Hokage's right side is enough for the protests to die down.

Naruto's one true weakness is Sasuke. No one claims to understand why and how, and even Team 7 only has an inkling, but if it's by their savior's request, then everyone will accept the pardon.

As life settles down and everyone adjusts to a new world, it becomes clear that Naruto continues to achieve the extraordinary and that his legend will likely be on par with that of the Sage of Six Paths by the time of his death.

Kakashi privately wonders if it was the right decision for the Ridokuu Sennin to grant Sasuke one-half of his power. Granted, previous attempts to choose between the two philosophies haven't worked, but with Naruto, nothing is predictable.

It's obvious that Sasuke is not adjusting. He's angry, bubbling with rage at being brought down so low by the dobe. He wanted to die, and Naruto is unwilling to grant him his only wish. Naruto is someone Sasuke cannot go against; besides sealing most of his sage power away, Rinnegan included, Naruto is the only person he is still capable of holding fond thoughts for.

The Rookie Nine, or what's left of it, have confronted him, one by one. They've learned their lesson from their last unsuccessful attempt at dragging him back to Konoha. It seems like a lifetime ago. They've learned that Naruto is the only thing they can use against him.

Shikamaru is the first. Sasuke has no idea what happened between his defection and his unwilling return, but this Shikamaru that holds him in place with his shadows is a far cry from the sleepy, irritable Nara he remembers.

Everyone is different from his memories. Ino, once an annoying fan girl, looks at him as if he is lower than the dirt beneath their feet. The girl who once fawned over him and broke up a friendship because of him is not the woman who snakes her way into his mind, steals all his secrets with a twisted glee, and plants nightmares of his worst fears coming true.

Choji is someone Sasuke remembers as a kind, chubby boy who was Shikamaru's best friend. Well, the kind part is no longer true. Choji is now terrifying, his bulk adding to his intimidating stature. He looms over Sasuke, and quietly tells him not to try his luck at any of the Amichi restaurants.

Before he became a traitor, one of Sasuke's few pleasures in life had been the Amichi barbeque offered at their restaurants. It's one of his few untainted memories of his family, and the clan had always been happy to serve him and give him his privacy. Being told that he is no longer welcome is a shock when few things have bothered him. It's a reminder that the world has changed, but that Sasuke is still the same terrified boy.

Hinata was a timid, quiet girl who stuttered and hid from her own shadow. Sasuke's memories do not supply him with a beautiful woman, Bayakgun blazing as she gently taps various points of his body, putting him in excruciating pain. She has a sweet smile pasted on the entire time and nicely asks him not to hurt her "Naruto-kun" any more than he already has.

Kiba and his dog have grown as well. Akamaru reaches up to his shoulder on all fours and Kiba has gained bulk and maturity. Sasuke's unrepentant face is infuriating, but Kiba _has_ learned patience in the last decade. Instead, he snarls at Sasuke that at a hint of disloyalty, the Inuzukas will gladly tear him apart with their teeth while their canine companions watch and provide tips.

Shino has changed the least, from what Sasuke remembers, but he's never known the boy very well. Shino is still a silent guardian, but somehow even creepier. The bugs that come crawling out of his sleeve, he is informed, are mutations of his original hive who've been enhanced by Kurama's chakra. The bugs know Sasuke's scent, and so Shino will always know where Sasuke is.

What is the worst is the arrival of Team Gai. Neji had miraculously survived the assault, and while recovery will be slow, it is guaranteed. Since the Chunin exams, Neji has become one of Narutos' most outspoken and aggressive supporters. He hates Sasuke almost as much as Shikamaru does. Rock Lee is silent as well, glaring at Sasuke, and a far cry from the enthusiastic boy who proclaimed himself a genius of hard work. Tenten does the talking and he has never realized that a shuriken could be used in such a way.

When Gaara visits, Sasuke sneers. This is a boy who was so weak and stupid that he thought the demon sealed inside of him was actually his mother. But time has changed Gaara as well. He is an excellent, well-loved Kage. He has grown into his power, just as his siblings have, and Naruto has gotten to them as well.

Sasuke finds no peace in Konoha and Naruto grants him permission to travel, along with a warning that any escape attempts will be dealt with harshly. Sasuke does not ask how Naruto can keep track of him from such a distance; the past five years have only shown everyone that with the right environment and support, Naruto is as much a genius as anyone else. His seals are creative and beyond the understanding of mere mortals and do anything he wants them to. He has the most powerful biju sealed inside of him, the fox voluntarily staying. Naruto has the resources and skills to make sure that Sasuke will never be rid of him or Konoha.

Sasuke travels in an attempt to find some peace. The years have gradually worn away some of his resolve and he can now admit to himself that he wasn't exactly correct. Travelling brings him no answers. Naruto's legend has spread far. The major villages adore him, the minor villages revere him, and the small settlements worship him. This means they know all about Sasuke as well. Distorted facts have nothing to do with his role as Naruto's enemy. People recognize him as the last Uchiha and turn their backs on him.

Sasuke cannot escape Naruto, no matter how far away he runs.


End file.
